Spinach, Bacon, and Buttermilk Twice Baked Potatoes
Here’s a great little side …or main, since this was dinner for me the other night. I love the combination in these Spinach, Bacon, and Buttermilk Twice Baked Potatoes. A little different from the token traditional, but so creamy, delicious, and still fully loaded.
Ingredients
- 2 large russet baking potatoes scrubbed and washed clean
- kosher salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices bacon
- ⅔ c light buttermilk
- 2 c baby spinach leaves
- 1 c shredded Vermont white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Lay out 2 squares of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the potatoes. Place a potato on each piece of foil. Drizzle ~1/4 t olive oil over each and rub the oil all over the potatoes. Season with salt and wrap the potatoes with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes give a little when gently squeezed. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, cook the bacon. Remove the cooked bacon from the skillet to drain on paper towels. Pour off the bacon grease from the skillet leaving 1-2 t in the skillet. Saute the spinach in the reserved bacon grease until nice and wilty. Remove to a cutting board and chop. Separately, crumble the bacon.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the foil and slice each in half. Scoop out the flesh from the potatoes into a medium bowl (using a melon baller makes this much easier) leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell of potato flesh to give the skin it's shape.
- To the potato flesh in the bowl, add the buttermilk and chopped spinach and mash. Add salt to taste (at least 1/2 t). Spoon the prepared potato filling into the shells. Top with cheese and bacon. Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted. Yields 4 servings.
